The IDRA 14 celebrates 80 years as Ireland’s first national dinghy class. Since its design in 1938 and introduction in 1946, the class has been raced, developed, rebuilt, and sailed by generations of sailors across the country.
This milestone marks not just the age of the design, but the strength of the community that has kept the IDRA 14 active, relevant, and competitive for eight decades.
Some events are already confirmed, others are in development, and more ideas are being actively explored. This page will be updated as plans are finalised, so check back regularly.
To help preserve the history of the class, we will have a laptop and scanner setup at each event to digitise old photographs, results sheets, programmes, and other memorabilia. Sailors and supporters are encouraged to bring along anything of historical interest so it can be safely copied and added to the growing IDRA 14 archive. These shared memories will help ensure the stories, people, and boats that shaped the class are preserved for future generations.
As part of our 80th anniversary celebrations, we have been looking back at the people, boats and clubs that have shaped the IDRA 14 Class over the past eight decades.
This year we have visited the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, kindly organised by members of the DMYC, reconnected with old friends in SDC, watched close racing and shared stories and memories around the boats on display in CY&BC.
Now it is nearly time for the final event of our 80th anniversary celebrations our 80th Anniversary Dinner at the Royal St George Yacht Club on Friday, 30th October.
All are welcome, and we would particularly encourage former IDRA 14 sailors, friends and supporters to join us for what promises to be a very special evening.
Once you have completed your booking and payment, you will see a confirmation message on screen saying “Thank you for your submission.”
If you have any questions about the booking, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
You can also contact the Royal St George Yacht Club during office hours to confirm your reservation.
We look forward to welcoming sailors, former sailors, friends and supporters of the IDRA 14 Class on Friday 30th October as we celebrate 80 years of the IDRA 14.
Please feel free to share this page with anyone who may be interested in joining us, particularly former IDRA 14 sailors and supporters.
Date: 30/10/26
Time:
7.00pm: Pre-dinner drinks
7.45pm: Seating in the dining room
8.00pm: Dinner served
Location:
Royal St George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire
Dress Code:
Smart Casual
To launch our 80th anniversary celebrations, we will begin with an afternoon rooted in history, conversation, and good company.
The event will start with a visit to the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, where we’ll take time to reflect on the wider maritime context in which the IDRA 14 was born and developed. This will be followed by drinks and snacks in the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), an opportunity to catch up with old friends, share stories, and officially kick off the anniversary year.
This opening event is designed to be relaxed, social, and welcoming to sailors past and present, supporters of the class, and anyone with an interest in the IDRA’s remarkable history.
The event will be held on the 21st of March '26. Start time, meet at Dun Laoghaire Dart station at 13.30h or Museum at 14.00h. Addmission €6
This is the first event of the year and we are looking at using this time to start building the class archives of memorabilia for a very special project which we hope to be in a position to reveal very soon! But we do need your help. If you have any old archive photographs, booklets, Clinker magazines, stories etc or similar can you start to think about where they are and let us know if we can collate them. We would love to be able to digitally record these in a central location and have them to share for years to come.
We hope you are able to join us and many thanks also to John Fitz for organising the day.
Date: 21/3/26
Time: 14:00hr
Location:
National Maritime Museum of Ireland
Saturday evening from 6pm, April 25th 2026
On the Water
IDRA dinghies will be available for young SDC members to get afloat and, weather permitting, experience trapeze sailing and flying the spinnaker. Current IDRA sailors will be on hand to chat about crewing opportunities, boats available, and upcoming events.
Onshore
A social gathering for current and former IDRA sailors. Former sailors are encouraged to bring photos and memorabilia for photographing, scanning, and recording. A slideshow will run throughout the evening featuring IDRAs in action at SDC from the 1940s to the present day.
Date: 25/4/26
Time: From 6pm
Location:
Sutton Dinghy Club
Date: 26-27/9/26
Time: fromm 11.00am 26th Sept
Location:
Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club
From its earliest wooden hulls to today’s race-ready boats, the IDRA 14 has evolved steadily in response to how sailors actually sail. Changes have been introduced carefully over time, allowing the class to modernise while preserving the core characteristics that define the boat.
Fibreglass hulls, updated rigs, spinnakers, and trapeze systems have all been adopted to ensure the boat remains manageable, exciting, and affordable to race.
The IDRA 14 has always been shaped by its sailors. Owners have built, repaired, modified, and maintained their boats themselves, sharing knowledge and improvements across fleets.
This culture of hands-on involvement remains a defining feature of the class today. Whether restoring an older boat, helping a new sailor get started, or sharing tuning advice on the slipway, the class continues to be driven by the people who sail it.
Over 80 years, one hundred and twenty three IDRA 14s have been built and raced. Each boat carries its own history of owners, championships, rebuilds, and memorable races.
Active fleets in Clontarf, Dun Laoghaire, Howth, Sutton, and beyond continue to add to that story, ensuring the class remains visible and competitive within Irish dinghy sailing.
The 80th anniversary provides us with an opportunity to:
Reflect on the history of the class
Celebrate the sailors who sustained it
Share stories of boats and fleets
Look ahead to the future of the IDRA 14
Throughout this anniversary period, the class is gathering historical material, recording stories, and highlighting the people and boats that have shaped the IDRA 14.
While this anniversary recognises the past, the focus remains firmly on the future. The class continues to:
Support youth and developing sailors
Encourage refurbishment and new participation
Promote competitive, affordable racing
Strengthen fleets and class activity
The IDRA 14’s longevity is not accidental. It is the result of consistent effort, shared responsibility, and a belief that good racing and good company are worth sustaining.
The story of the IDRA 14 is still being written. Whether you are a current sailor, a former owner, or someone discovering the class for the first time, you are part of its continuing history. This anniversary is about the whole class so if you have ideas, memories, photos, boats, or simply enthusiasm to contribute, we would love to hear from you. Whether you raced an IDRA decades ago or only recently joined the fleet, there is a place for you in the celebrations.
Details for each event will be added and updated as they are confirmed.